Throughout her 20-year sailing career, Lily Xu Lijia competed in three Olympics, winning bronze in Beijing 2008 and gold at London 2012, both in the women’s single-handed dinghy Laser Radial class. Lily overcame physical disabilities and debilitating injuries to become a national sailing champion at 11, laying the foundation for her remarkable double Olympics. Partly due to her inspiring story of overcoming multiple adversities on her path to gold, Lily was chosen over many better-known athletes to be China’s flag bearer at the closing ceremony of London 2012.

Today, Lily has a successful broadcast media career, reporting on sailing and other sporting events around the world.